Need to avoid stripping it, what’s the best way to get this out? As for the rest, it seems to be fairly straightforward. There’s a little pin I need to tap out on the back, otherwise I guess that’s it? So many how-to’s all over the place with bench planes, very little about the smaller ones. I’ll post one of this one, just really want to be careful with that screw. I’ve got lots of mini screwdriver heads and I obviously want the widest one that fits, but none are doing the job.

Also – the wood knob just screws on the front, and when I took that off some of the wood inside crumbled out. It’s still threaded inside, and I didn’t put it back on because I didn’t want to keep putting it on and taking it off and risk ruining the threads. Is there a way to strengthen the inside of the knob?

17 replies so far

Can you take a picture from the top? That looks like a 103 knock off which mean the cap should be under a bar. I’ve never seen a plane that style where the side screw did anything. If you completely loosen the cap, it slide from under the bar.

As for the knob, it depends how bad it is. Some wood stabilizer may work. You can also wax the threads really well and add some epoxy. The wax will prevent the epoxy from sticking to the metal and form a new set in the wood.

Put down the impact driver and back away from the plane.Like Don said, that “screw” on the side is not there to help you disasemble. You just need to move that wheel underneath the lever cap. Look at it from the side and you’ll see which way the threads go on that bolt it it sitting on. Turn it until it is loose. If you can’t turn it by hands then channel-locks with a gentle-touch and some tape over the jaws will get it started. Once you loosen that up the lever-cap will just slide out the back.

You know…I realize I’m necroposting, but that is a very, very early type 1 #97. That plane was probably made in 1929, in the first year they were released. The red caps were quickly replaced with black.

I also have a type 1 #97, but my cap is black. I hope you haven’t repainted it!

Thanks. This DupliColor engine paint, which is really popular to use in black for Stanley restores, ended up being pretty much a perfect match for Millers Falls red. I also used it for the lever cap lettering in my MF #9.

I have been a little worried about the tint of the red paints on the market. I have a type 1 #9 coming that has already has some repaint done to it. I want to strip and recoat. That red looks very close.

Sorry, I also did the frog on my 9 with that paint. I haven’t compared it to an original untouched 9. It’s kind of hard to gauge from just a photograph, but originally when I compared the underside of that block plane cap to the engine paint I honestly could not tell a difference. I left the underside as it was, no retouching. And just a minute ago I took another look, got the cap off and still could not tell a difference. To me it’s a great match.